1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to apparatus for composting windrows of compost material and, more particularly, to a compact vehicle for composting windrows of compost material in exceptionally cramped confines or elsewhere where space is premium or maneuverability is paramount, such as and without limitation the situation with manure that collects under high-rise avian houses or the like.
Additional aspects and objects of the invention will be apparent in connection with the discussion further below of preferred embodiments and examples.
2. Prior Art
High-rise chicken houses have famous manure-management problems. The birds are kept in multi-story cages typically suspended from the ceilings. Their manure is allowed to fall and collect on the chicken-house floor. The ultimate end-disposal of the manure usually entails spreading it over crop fields as a soil additive including as for example fertilizer purposes. However, crop planting and harvesting cycles typically limit opportunities for manure spreading to perhaps just two times a year, coinciding once with crop planting and about a half year apart with crop harvesting. During the rest of the year the problem is what to do with the massively accumulating heap of manure. Nowadays it is popular to simply let the manure decompose in place on the chicken-house floor where it fell until, in cases for the earliest-dropped manure, six months later it can be spread out over fields.
The ground floors (or more particularly, the manure collection pits or areas) of such chicken houses are typically very cramped spaces. Ceiling heights might be less than seven feet (xcx9c2.1 m). Clearance between the column-rows of the building""s columns might be just barely more than six feet (xcx9c1.8 m) apart. An example chicken house might measure 400 to 600 feet (120 to 180 m) long, and its ground floor might partitioned into two side-by-side aisles for manure collection measuring about six to ten feet (xcx9c1.8 to 3 m) wide each aisle. Preferably the manure is maintained there in windrows (ie., a windrow being an elongated heap or row having very approximately an inverted-V shaped cross-section). Over the six month or more lay-up period the manure might build up to a four foot (1.2 m) high windrow. Hence not only is space cramped in the manure-storage areas of high-rise chicken houses, but the build-up of the manure heap over time makes the free space tighter still if not virtually non-existent.
It is desirable to periodically aerate the manure heap on a more or less regular schedule, say for example several times a week. This aerating process preferably involves breaking-up and/or turning-over, stirring and so on in order to promote dehydration, reducing the weight and volume of the manure as well as odor. It is also significant that such xe2x80x9caeratingxe2x80x9d processes (including without limitation stirring, breaking apart, turning over and the like) tend to eliminate formation of a mucky wet bottom layer. Controlling or eliminating the formation of such a mucky wet bottom wet layer is important because if it is allowed to form, it gums up equipment badly when time comes to dig it out, and then it is not ready for spreading on fields until decontaminated (or otherwise the pathogens are somehow destroyed). Also, wet or unstirred manure if left untouched long enough breeds vast numbers of flies and other alarming organisms. Periodically aerating (eg., stirring etc.) the manure disrupts the ability of such flies and organisms to breed or subsist in the manure. Hence for all these reasons it is desirable to periodically compost the manure in the storage areas as by aerating or, in other words, break it apart, disintegrate it, stir it and/or turn it over and so on.
Enlisting prior art equipment to operated and maneuver in such cramped confines has been problematical. The prior art includes various windrow-composting attachments, some which are towed behind a drive vehicle and others which attach in front of the drive vehicle. One problem with prior art attachments is that most poorly operate in the restrictive confines described previously because most were designed for use outdoors where space was no problem. Hence, attachments which are towed typically have a line-of-action which is offset from the drive vehicle""s driving lane because the drive vehicle cannot drive down the center of the windrow. In contrast, attachments to the front of the drive vehicle typically have an offset line-of-action, or in other words the front attachments typically shovels the manure to one side or the other of the drive vehicle""s driving lane rather than back-depositing the material in-line on the axis it originally sat when originally dug into. Thus, such problems as small entrance doors and narrowly-spaced rows of structural columns severely handicap the usefulness of front or back attachment equipment. What is needed is a solution which overcomes the problems of the prior art.
A number of additional features and objects will be apparent in connection with the following discussion of preferred embodiments and examples.
It is an object of the invention to provide a compact vehicle for composting windrows of compost material found in exceptionally cramped confines or elsewhere where space is premium or maneuverability is paramount.
These and other objects and aspects of the invention are achieved in a compact self-propelled vehicle for composting windrows of compost material found in cramped confines. The vehicle preferably has a low frame extending between a front and back end such that the low frame forms an axially-elongated inverted-U shaped construction having depending flanges to flank a central tunnel. There are at least three wheels and these include at least left and right front wheels that are mounted on separate fixtures to eliminate a common continuous front axle for them and thereby avoid any such axle piercing the frame""s central tunnel. The vehicle also has a leading or front pick-up end that is situated forward of the front wheels and has a transverse central-flow auger system for setting at ground elevation to attack into a windrow of material end-on along the long axis of such windrow. The vehicle further incorporates an inclined through-flow conveyor that has a material-carrying run extending between a forward lower intake end and an upper rearward discharge end. The intake end is preferably disposed immediately trailing a center portion of the central-flow auger system. The discharge end is preferably disposed to discharge the picked-up material rearwardly to clear the at least one other wheel and at a given elevation above the ground.
Given the foregoing, the central-flow auger system includes left and right oppositely-coiled helical flights mounted on a common shaft and spaced by a central paddle section. Therefore, material dug into by the helical flights is traversed, transited or shifted centrally to the central paddle section which kicks such material up onto the intake end of the conveyor. In the process, the material is broken apart, disintegrated and/or stirred by the helical flights on way to the central paddle section as well as by the central paddle section itself. The vehicle further includes a drive system incorporating a drive source for supplying drive power to the auger system, conveyor and at least selected ones of the wheels. In consequence, the vehicle can drive through the windrow of material end-on along the long axis of the windrow, digging up material with the leading pick-up section for shifting over towards and kicking up onto the intake end of the conveyor. Ultimately the picked-up material is back-deposited behind the vehicle in windrow formation to facilitate future passes by the vehicle at periodic intervals as well as to promote compost processes while undisturbed during such intervals.
In essence, the vehicle worms its way through the windrow by virtue of the wheels being disposed in a temporary and traveling void created between the leading pick-up end and the back-deposited material discharged by the discharge end of the conveyor.
A number of additional features and objects will be apparent in connection with the following discussion of preferred embodiments and examples.